Home > National > Social Affairs

1 hospitalized Posco worker regains consciousness as police open probe

Published: 21 Nov. 2025, 12:42

The main gate of Posco’s Pohang steel mill in Pohang, North Gyeongsang [JOONGANG ILBO]

One of the three workers who fell unconscious after a gas leak at Posco’s Pohang steel mill on Thursday regained consciousness overnight, as police opened an investigation into the cause and events surrounding the accident.

Posco and police said Friday that an employee who had arrived at the hospital unresponsive woke up during the night. He briefly communicated with medical staff and has been moved to a general ward.

“A full recovery from carbon monoxide poisoning can take time,” a Posco representative said. “We will do our best to support the recovery of the remaining workers as well.”

The accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the stainless steel No. 4 plant at Posco’s Pohang mill in Pohang, North Gyeongsang. Six workers — two subcontracted workers cleaning sludge, a Posco employee and three members of Posco’s in-house fire brigade — inhaled chemical substances.

The incident began when the two subcontracted workers collapsed during the cleaning operation. A Posco employee who discovered them rushed over, reported the accident and attempted CPR, but also collapsed. Three Posco fire brigade members were dispatched immediately but suffered minor symptoms after inhaling gas as well. Of the three workers transported to a hospital, two remain unconscious. The remaining three were also treated at the hospital.

Police said Friday they have begun preliminary work to determine the cause of the accident, securing CCTV footage, work logs and witness statements to confirm the movements and work procedures of the subcontracted workers, as well as the timing of exposure to the gas — believed to be carbon monoxide.

A view of Posco’s Pohang steel mill in Pohang, North Gyeongsang [NEWS1]

Although the accident site is inside the mill, the police noted that the area is an outdoor space and is not fully enclosed. Investigators will look into whether workers were wearing protective gear such as masks, whether risk assessments were conducted, whether safety managers were properly assigned and whether the safety management system was followed. They will also inspect the sludge treatment facilities, pipes and ventilation systems.

Posco said that because the area is not an enclosed space, “there appears to be no violation of safety regulations so far,” but added, “Since multiple people were injured, we will fully cooperate with police to determine exactly where the gas came from.”

The police are coordinating with the National Forensic Service and other agencies to schedule a joint on-site inspection. Operations at the No. 4 plant had been temporarily halted at the time of the accident due to supply conditions.

“We will set a date for the joint inspection in consultation with related agencies and thoroughly determine the cause of the accident,” said an official at the Pohang Nambu Police Station.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY BAEK KYUNG-SEO [[email protected]]